Journal of

Architectural
Coatings
Vo l u m e 1 / Number 3 July 2005

SPECIAL REPORT:
BEAUTIFYING AND
PROTECTING CONCRETE

COATING SYSTEMS
FOR SCHOOLS

FINISHES FOR
WOOD SUBSTRATES
 july 2005 journal of architectural coatings / contents
Lasting expressions
11 Special Report: Decorative and
protective materials for concrete
Joe Maty, Editor
The origins of concrete can be
traced to the Roman Empire of
two millennia ago, but the rise of
decorative concrete is a recent
phenomenon. This report surveys
developments in methods and
materials, with project profiles
showcasing the aesthetic possibili-
ties of this bold new world of con-
crete decoration.
The art and science of intumescents
44 Dan Heemstra
Carboline Company
Thin-film intumescent coatings are
seeing increasing use as a tool
that offers fire-protective capabili-
ties while meeting the design
objectives of architects. The
author examines important
aspects of the technology, includ-
ing materials, application, testing
protocols, and quality assurance.
52 Cool house, warm wood
David Hertz
David Hertz AIA Architects
Architect Hertz relates how he
integrated design and finishing con-
cepts in creating a unique indoor-
outdoor living space at his home,
the McKinley Residence in Venice
Beach, CA. The home also serves as
a living laboratory for environmental
design ideas, the author says.
On the cover: Perspectives school storefront library.
Photo courtesy of Perkins + Will
Journal of Architectural Coatings / July 2005
Don’t get (sun)burned
56 R. Sam Williams
UDSA Forest Service Forest Products
Laboratory
Contrary to popular myth, allowing
wood to weather before applying a
finish does not help the cause of coat-
ing adhesion and durability. That’s the
verdict from the Forest Products
Laboratory, based on long-term expo-
sure studies.
Aligning facilities with education:
62 Considering the big picture in charting
coatings material and application
strategies.
Peter Brown and Andrew Wilson
Perkins+ Will
This review explores current directions
in school planning and design and
examines important considerations in
the selection of coatings materials for
schools designed for a new genera-
tion of students.
columns
Editors’ Word:
3 A different slant on sustainability
News: Product Stewardship Institute
6 announces plan for leftover-paint pro-
grams; Carboline, Zinsser make acqui-
sitions.
The Concept Stage: Research offers
9 promise for advances in water-borne
intumescent coatings
Getting it Right: The cold, hard facts on
69 coatings for concrete…chemistry
holds the key
Passing the Test: Getting a read on the
70 performance of anti-graffiti coatings
Ad index and Calendar
76
1
 Contributors

Peter Brown building materials and systems

Peter Brown (Aligning facili- to make climate-specific build-
ties with education, p. 62) is a ings. His work has been pub-
registered architect recog- lished and exhibited interna-
nized for his national and tionally. He serves on the fac-
international contributions to ulties of UCLA’s Extension
school planning and design. Design Programs and has been
He currently leads the Texas teaching sustainable design
K-12 practice of Perkins+Will courses for more than a
Dallas. He has been instru- decade. David is a past winner
mental in the design of inno- of the SQA Sustainable Quality
vative schools—both public Award, is a member of the ETF
and private. Recent projects include clients in Beijing, Environmental Task Force for the City of Santa Monica, and
Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo, as well as clients in the serves of the LUPC Land Use and Planning Commission for
U.S. He speaks regularly to architects, school administrators, Venice.
and educators on topics that integrate facilities and learn-
ing. He has taught school planning and design at the uni-
versity level and his work is published in architectural and Dan Heemstra
educational forums. Dan Heemstra (The art and science of intumescents, p. 44) is
the western region manager for Carboline Company’s
Fireproofing Division. He
Andrew Wilson attended Calvin College in
Andrew Wilson (Aligning facilities with education, p. 62) is Grand Rapids, MI, and the
the technical resource manager and specifier at Perkins+Will Los Angeles Trade Technical
Los Angeles. He is experienced College. He is a member of
in many phases of project deliv- the Construction Specifi-
ery, including building code cations Institute and NACE
consultant, construction con- International and has been
tract administrator and site rep- active with SSPC since 1985.
resentative, construction specifi- He is a NACE Certified
er, project architect, and quality Protective Coatings Specialist,
control manager. He is a mem- a NACE Certified Senior
ber of many professional associ- Corrosion Specialist, and is NACE Certified International
ations, including the American Coating Inspector #1834.
Architectural Manufacturer’s Association, the Construction
Specifications Institute, and the National Institute of Building
Sciences. D r. R. S a m W i l l i a m s
Dr. R. Sam Williams (Don’t get (sun) burned, p. 56) is a senior
scientist for the USDA Forest Service Forest Products
David Hertz Laboratory in Madison, WI. He is project leader of the Wood
David Hertz, AIA LEED, AP Architect (Cool house, warm Surface Chemistry Research Work Unit, which is responsible
wood, p. 52) is the founder and president of David Hertz AIA for a research program in wood surface chemistry, properties,
Architects Inc. and Syndesis Inc., a multi-disciplinary archi- modification, and protection. His other activities include con-
tecture, design, and manufacturing firm. His work is charac- sulting and publishing in trade journals. He is the author or
terized as incorporating sustainable strategies and innovative co-author of more than 60 publications and two books.

4 Journal of Architectural Coatings / July 2005

e
The central common space at Perspectives, an award-winning
urban school in Chicago, serves as the social center of the
school. Color is used to enliven the space, while bi-lingual quotes
on the wall reinforce the school’s character development principles.

ducational planners and designers at

Perkins+Will—an architecture, interiors, and
planning firm with a tradition of innovative school
design—have made a practice of carefully observing and
listening to educators, creating a 70-year track record of
designing responsive schools that connect facilities with the
learning process.
In an effort to explore a baseline understanding of current By Peter Brown and Andrew Wilson, Perkins+Will
drivers in school planning and design, this review discusses

strategies aimed at connecting facilities with the educational
process and identifies issues to consider when specifying coat-
ings products in schools designed for a new generation of stu-
dents.
In considering various aspects of coatings materials and
their substrates (see accompanying article), it should be
emphasized that school buildings continue to evolve away
from the massive, heavy structures of the past to lighter
designs that emphasize light-filled environments, with speed
of installation an important consideration in the coating sys-
tem selection criteria.
With this shift on the architectural side, architects and speci-
fiers continue to evaluate various options for key building
components, including interior partition systems, durable and
affordable flooring systems, and exterior skin systems, all in
the context of creating sustainable school environments.
The context: A dynamic educational environment
For those of us engaged in the design and construction of
schools, it is essential to be aware of the big-picture issues that
affect decision making for schools. Through this understand-
ing, we can use our collective skills to align facilities with the
core endeavor of education.
Educators in the United States are working in an environ-
ment of unprecedented extremes and impressive scope. Two
reports published in May of this year describe the immensity
of our educational system. The U.S. Census Bureau’s “School
Enrollment Report” indicates that a record 75 million people,
more than 25 percent of our population, attend schools and
universities in the United States. Correspondingly, the
“Annual Education Construction Report” released by
Aligning facilities
American School & University reported that educational institu-
tions spent $41.4 billion nationwide in 2004 on construction.
The same report projects that $135 billion will be spent on
construction between 2005 and 2007. A record total of
expenditures are currently being poured into facilities to edu-
cate a record number of students.
At the same time, schools are faced with daunting funding
demands on the operational side. In a 2003 Public Agenda
report, “Rolling Up Their Sleeves,” 70 percent of superinten-
dents surveyed said funding pressure is the top issue facing
their school districts. Further, community constituents and the
federal government are placing increased demands on school
districts to demonstrate an improved and measurable student
performance.
‘Education for all’
Having worked with a diverse client base of pubic, private, sub-
urban, urban, and rural school districts, architects at
Perkins+Will hear a persistent message from school administra-
tors: We must educate all students. Challenged to do more
with less, educators are looking into every corner to ensure stu-
dent success.
For example, before planning new schools, additions and
renovations, the Roaring Fork School District in Glenwood
Springs, CO, first examined the education program.
Committed to “learning for all students, whatever it takes,”

62 Journal of Architectural Coatings / July 2005


with education:
Considering the big picture in allowing a greater range of
charting coatings material teaching methods—from
project-based instruction,
and application strategies self-directed learning, and
team teaching to tradi-
tional teaching formats
• Inviting parents to take
an active part in school
life and the educational
process
Perspectives school features a storefront library to invite the local
neighborhood into daily life of the school. A galvanized steel grate creates • Engaging the communi-
a sun screen and forms a gateway to the library. ty to support education
in developing future gen-
educators in the district, led by erations
Superintendent Fred Wall and • Expanding resources to include univer-
Curriculum Superintendent Judy sity partnerships
Haptonstall, are developing “holistic” In kicking off the school-design
concepts, such as the following. process, the school district engaged
• Assessing students according to real Perkins+Will to facilitate a series of work-
progress and allowing them to demon- shops with community constituents to
strate mastery in multiple ways develop facility concepts that support its
• Allowing flexible use of time, such as educational mission.
extended school days and school years Administrators at Roaring Fork—like
• Encouraging flexibility, recognizing other school districts—realize that
that students learn in different ways changing educational models potential-
• Creating a collaborative team process, ly affect schools from planning con-
Journal of Architectural Coatings / July 2005
Perspectives school features an exterior wall system
of corrugated metal panels with a metallic fluoropolymer
finish. Exterior aluminum window systems have black
anodized finish.
cepts down to the details.
While educators are looking to make
significant gains in student performance
by improving curriculum, teachers, and
process, architects are looking to do their
part by studying where learning is taking
place—the educational environment.
Those involved with building schools
can make a significant contribution in
three key areas, each with a direct rela-
tionship to finishes and coatings used
within a school building:
• creating spaces to support the stated
educational goals;
• improving building performance to
improve student performance; and
• detailing schools to allow a greater
proportion of operational funds to be
spent on education.
In addition to traditional classrooms,
new spaces are finding their way into
schools, supporting curriculum and mak-
ing better use of the budget. For exam-
ple, Perspectives Charter School in
Chicago recently completed the first
phase of its permanent facility. A low-
budget building by Chicago standards,
the facility is organized around a trian-
gle-shaped multi-purpose room. This
room is heavily utilized throughout the
day—a large group room, dining room,
performance room, and study breakout
room. Due to the diverse use needs, the
space is finished to meet the variety of
functions.
Fearn Elementary School in Aurora, IL,
places small mini-libraries among group-
ings of four classrooms rather than
building a traditional, central library.
This strategy places resources close to
students and, to be fully utilized, calls
for a great degree of transparency
between classrooms and resource rooms.
Blythewood High School in Columbia,
SC, will open this fall with an internet
café—recognizing that students need for-
mal and informal learning activities.
Internet cafes in schools receive finishes
more like a coffee shop than a tradition-
63

al school—warmer colors, for example,
that are intended to create a relaxing
environment for students.
The schools in Roaring Fork School
District will be open for longer days and
extended school years. They will require
more durable finishes; first, because the
buildings receive more use, and second,
because the annual three-month-long
“deep clean” that traditionally occurs
over the summer will not be possible in
buildings that are operated year-round.
A growing body of evidence suggests
that improved building design and per-
formance—everything from increased
natural daylight to acoustics, to color, to
indoor air quality—are also good for stu-
dent performance.
According to the Environmental
Protection Agency (February 2003), grow-
ing evidence links poor indoor air quality
(IAQ) with health problems in both stu-
dents and teachers. The symptoms range
from mild irritation to acute cases that
require absence from school. Other data
suggest that poor IAQ may impair one’s
mental ability to handle tasks requiring
concentration, calculation, and memory.
f
Color also plays a significant role in
the behavior of students. A study con-
Coatings choices for schools reflect design directions, performance needs
or architects, specifiers, educators,
and building managers, the evolu-
tion in design and construction of
school facilities presents a number of
challenges in the choice of coatings
materials needed to meet performance,
aesthetic, environmental, health, and life-
cycle objectives. A discussion of some of
these challenges and suggestions on coat-
ings selection follow.
Coatings for interior
partition systems
In the last 10 years, architectural firms
have seen a steady increase in the use of
64
ducted by Harry Wohlfarth examined
the impact of color and lighting on stu-
dents. The project involved four elemen-
tary schools and covered a curriculum
year running from September 1982 to
June 1983, and indicated that functional
color schemes significantly reduced inci-
dents of destructive behavior, aggressive-
ness, and disruptiveness. The school that
underwent changes in light levels and
color showed the strongest improvement
in academic performance and IQ scores.
Funding oftens fails to connect
capital, operational requirements
Typical funding mechanisms in school
districts highlight a fundamental discon-
nect between capital outlays and operat-
drywall partitions in schools, for two pri-
mary reasons: drywall partitions cost less
than masonry partitions and provide
greater flexibility in accommodating
future building revisions.
While drywall partitions can address
these needs, other issues come into play,
primarily durability.
In seeking to meet the objective of
substrate durability, several strategies can
be employed. Generally, high-impact or
abuse-resistant drywall products are spec-
ified in locations within eight to 10 feet
above the floor. Many of these products
also contain mold inhibitors for added
Journal of Architectural Coatings / July 2005
Fearn Elementary School’s custom wood lockers provide
spaces along the corridor to encourage student interaction
in this wireless elementary campus. Color is used above
the lockers to create a warm environment.
ing expenditures. Although superinten-
dents place funding pressures for opera-
tional expenses at the top of the list, life-
cycle costing is rarely considered by edu-
cators and school administrators when
making decisions on capital expendi-
tures. On the operational side, however,
design strategies exist to help school dis-
tricts:
• creating higher-quality facilities while
controlling building size;
• reducing energy usage by means of
daylighting and use of energy efficient
mechanical systems; and
• considering maintenance and replace-
ment procedures for products and mate-
rials, including coatings, and assessing
the total lifecycle cost of owning a prod-
uct.
In summary, with record spending on
school facilities, architects, contractors,
and suppliers can—and should—play a
critical part in shaping the success of our
schools. The understanding of the learn-
ing environment as an integral part of
system-wide efforts to improve student
performance begins with a firm grasp of
educational ideas and creates an integral
dialog between educators and those who
shape their learning environments.
benefit. For corridors and other public
areas, specification of technologies that
provide an inherently durable surface
along walls is recommended.
For example, at Perspectives Charter
School in Chicago, metal lockers with
baked enamel finishes were specified,
while at Fearn Elementary School in
Aurora, IL, wood cubbies with a shop-
applied catalyzed polyurethane clear
coating provide a durable wall surface
and create benches for students. At both
schools, greater intensity of color is pro-
vided in high-traffic areas to enhance the
aesthetic qualities of the spaces.
 Each set of four classrooms at Fearn Elementary School
shares a mini-library with books and technology resources.
Interior clear anodized aluminum windows allow passive
supervision of informal learning areas.
As with all applied finishes, surface
preparation of drywall is critical for suc-
cessful material performance. For applica-
tions requiring non-textured flat,
eggshell, or high-sheen coating finishes,
drywall should receive a Level 5 finish
that adds either a full skim coat and sep-
arate drywall primer or a combined
spray-applied primer/Level 5 finish to the
surface of the wall. This level of finish
provides the highest quality of surface
preparation to prevent joints from
telegraphing through the final finish.
ASTM C 840 provides additional infor-
mation on finish levels recommended for
various applications of drywall finishing.
For durability of finish, architects and
specifiers work with school districts to
provide the highest-quality surface possi-
ble within budgetary constraints. In ser-
66
vice areas such as loading docks,
kitchens, and service corridors, thin-film
epoxy coatings can provide a durable fin-
ish for drywall substrates. With a thin-
film system, high-solids epoxy coatings
are applied directly to a prepared drywall
surface and allowed to cure to either a
smooth or slight orange-peel finish. For
added durability in spaces subject to
greater abuse, embedded fiberglass engi-
Journal of Architectural Coatings / July 2005
neering fabric mat reinforcing can be
added between coats. Epoxy-coated
masonry wall systems, however, remain
the norm in spaces such as locker rooms,
shops, weight rooms, and backstage and
theater areas.
When determining the appropriate
coating quality level in any space, it’s
interesting to examine the true cost of
quality against the total architectural
coating system cost. The integrity of a
coating film is determined by its compo-
sition, and better-quality paints generally
deposit a thicker film on the surface,
which in turn provides for the best film
fill on a variety of substrates.
In painting, costs of materials general-
ly run from 15 to 20 percent of the total
cost of the finishing system. This means
the actual cost of upgrading from lower-
performance (usually less expensive)
material to the higher-performance (usu-
ally more expensive) material is often
not as prohibitive as it might initially
appear when looking at the coating from
the perspective of a unit price per gallon.
This is because the greatest percentage of
the total coating system cost, namely
labor, remains relatively unchanged
regardless of the quality of material being
applied, unless a specific application
technique is necessary to achieve a
required mil thickness. When consider-
ing the overall cost of such an upgrade
from a life-cycle perspective, the cost in
upgrading quality may be offset by a
lower life-cycle cost due to decreased
maintenance over the life of the coating.
Similarly, a thoughtful color scheme
can greatly enhance the learning environ- a hybrid coatings system using epoxy sealing concrete is crucial, as is an ongo-
ment in a cost-effective way. When mov- base and intermediate coats and a ure- ing maintenance regimen.
ing away from non-standard colors to thane topcoat. Generally speaking, pene- For an upgrade in budget, concrete can
more medium and custom colors, it is trating sealers tend to last longer and be polished using successive grit levels in
important to consider that lower-perfor- usually require less maintenance than abrasive disc equipment and with a
mance products are not always formulat- film-forming sealers. As with other coat- chemical reactive stabilizer that enhances
ed to effectively support those colors. ings, proper surface preparation prior to concrete density and hardness. This
While nearly any good-quality coating
can be tinted to match virtually any color
sample, high-performance coatings tend
to possess better hiding power and typi-
cally display more vivid color and offer
better color retention, both initially and
over the life of the coating.

Coatings for flooring systems

For schools challenged to do more with
less, designers are looking to products
that allow the concrete slab to serve as
the finish floor material. For example, the
floor at Perspectives Charter School con-
sists of a clear finish polymer over the
structural concrete slab. While this can
offer a lower installed cost solution than
adding a finish flooring material, coordi-
nation with the structural engineer is
needed to ensure the concrete mix will
yield an acceptable concrete color and
that the placement of column base keys
are aesthetically acceptable. Also impor-
tant is coordination with the contractor
to safeguard floor protection during con-
struction.
Two basic processes are available to seal
concrete after it has cured. Applying pen-
etrating reactive sealers—usually silanes,
siloxanes or silane/siloxane blends—
leaves the concrete in a natural-looking,
as-poured condition. Film-forming sealers
such as acrylic, urethane, and epoxy
materials add a sheen to the floor and
may tend to darken the surface and
lessen the coefficient of friction, especial-
ly when wet.
Depending on exposure conditions,
epoxy technology is less colorfast than
urethanes. While in certain environments
epoxy technology will work just fine, it
makes sense in other cases to incorporate

Journal of Architectural Coatings / July 2005 67

process allows the concrete to be finished
to a satin, medium, or high-gloss, mirror-
like sheen. Such finishes are durable, pen-
etrating, dust-resistant, and maintenance-
friendly.
In new construction, polishing is rec-
ommended when a terrazzo-like finish is
desired. In existing buildings, polishing
can remedy deteriorating, dusting, dull,
rough, or pitted concrete floor surfaces.
Coatings for exterior skin systems
Once dominated by masonry products,
the range of exterior materials being used
in school design has greatly expanded.
Maintenance and durability needs, bal-
anced against installation and mainte-
nance costs, constitute prime considera-
tions in the selection of exterior building
materials.
Exterior metal wall systems—steel
sandwich panels, aluminum composite
panels, and sheet-metal systems—are
becoming more widely used.
Factory-applied finishes for metal
For exterior ferrous metals that must be
coated for aesthetic purposes or for protec-
tion from corrosion, a recommended fin-
ishing system would consist of high-per-
formance coatings with zinc-rich urethane
or surface-tolerant epoxy primers and
aliphatic acrylic polyurethane gloss enam-
el topcoats should be specified.
For exterior aluminum surfaces sched-
uled to receive an architectural finish, coat-
ings based on fluorocarbon polymers can
boast a successful service-life track record
exceeding 20 years. Fluoropolymers gener-
ally exhibit good adhesion to properly pre-
pared aluminum surfaces, are available in a
wide range of colors in the low- to medi-
um-gloss range, and demonstrate reliable
color uniformity and excellent resistance
to fading and chalking.
Fluoropolymer coatings for extrusions
generally are available in two- or three-coat
systems (color or color plus clear coat for
added durability and protection); coatings
68
on rolled and coiled aluminum are gener-
ally available in two-, three- or four-coat
systems (color or color plus clear). While
two coats are considered a high-perfor-
mance system, three coats and up deliver
superior performance and are recom-
mended. Metallic coatings are only avail-
able in systems of three coats or more.
Antigraffiti coatings
As schools tend to serve as focal points of
the community, some school districts—
particularly those in urban or dense sub-
urban areas such as West Aurora High
School—request the added protection of
exterior materials with anti-graffiti prop-
erties. Perkins+Will has experience with
two types of antigraffiti coatings: non-
sacrificial (penetrating) and sacrificial
(surface film-forming).
Non-sacrificial antigraffiti coatings are
resilient protective materials designed to
make repeated graffiti removal quicker
and easier. These coatings can last up to
10 years before recoating and are suitable
for use on a range of surfaces.
Penetrating graffiti-resistant coatings
applied to porous surfaces such as con-
crete or masonry can also pull double
duty as a water-repellent coating.
Sacrificial coatings are formulated to
be sacrificed, that is, removed from the
substrate along with graffiti markings by
means of cleaning.
As with other paint and coatings, the
performance of antigraffiti coatings is
determined largely by surface prepara-
tion. The degree of surface preparation
required depends on the type of sub-
strate, the coating system, and the severi-
ty of the corrosive elements that come
into contact with the substrate.
Antigraffitti coatings are supplied as
single- or multiple-component products,
can be solvent- or water-borne, clear or
colored, and of varying sheens from
matte to satin to gloss. Most designers
look to limit shine or discoloration of the
surface, and prefer to minimize obvious
Journal of Architectural Coatings / July 2005
change of appearance of the building
surface where the coatings are applied.
Sustainable coatings
With growing pressure on operating
expenses and mounting research con-
necting sustainable concepts and
improved learning outcomes, schools
nationally are showing a marked interest
in creating sustainable—“green”—envi-
ronments. LEED certification from the
U.S. Green Building Council offers credits
for methods and materials designed to
improve indoor air quality, including
“low-emitting” paints and coatings. To
obtain this credit, coatings must meet
Green Seal Standard GS 11.
In addition to meeting maximum
allowable volatile organic compound
(VOC) limits for flat and non-flat coat-
ings, products must demonstrate speci-
fied levels of abrasion resistance, opacity,
and stain-removal properties. Products
that are certified by Green Seal are clearly
marked on the product packaging.
Specifying low-VOC paint and coat-
ings benefits both students and the
school environment, and can alleviate
problems associated with allergies and
chemical sensitivities. Thanks to emis-
sions of little or no hazardous fumes,
low-VOC coatings generate minimal
odor during application and no odor or
off-gassing once cured. Painted areas can
be occupied sooner with no odor com-
plaints, which is particularly important
in school construction where schedules
are often compressed to allow occupancy
before the fall semester.
For the environment, coatings with
low or even no VOCs also help reduce
the generation of low-level atmospheric
ozone, or smog. The products are nor-
mally water-borne and easy to clean up
with soap and warm water, simplifying
housekeeping and disposal.
JAC